Through the Screen
by Shay Blair
Summary: Robin has just broken up with Starfire and needs a change. Yet who would have thought removing a screen could make such a difference?


Alright, this popped into my head so I felt I had to write it down. It's RobinxRaven, from Robin's POV. It's slightly one-sided, in the sense that we don't quite find out what Raven thinks. But I mean really, how do you think she feels?

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Robin stared out his window. This would be the last time he'd see this view, the last time things would look like this. After breaking up with Starfire earlier today, he needed a change. No longer would this suffice. Breaking up had changed something in him. He was ready for it, though it was a hard decision. He was ready. He turned his back on the window and nodded.

He was ready to re-model his room.

Not many changes, of course. Little things like changing the layout and fixing the window. The screen was getting a little tattered. Rather than replace it, he was just going to take it out. He looked forward to what the view would be like without it. Not that it would change much, but still. Every little bit would help him get over Starfire.

Starfire. Everything had been going perfectly with her. Her beauty and innocence entranced him, her kindness enthralled him. But the more time he spent with her, the more those formerly endearing qualities began to grate on his nerves. Even Starfire recognized they were too different. Robin had darkness to him; Starfire was as bright as her namesake. She could never understand him fully. Not like Raven, his best friend.

He left the room, allowing the workers to begin. They would take care of everything, him having already given the specifications. He would be back in three hours to see the completed work. He hoped it would turn out well. He didn't want too much changed, he liked the way his room was. But after the stress of breaking up, no matter how necessary, he needed a distraction. Besides, he was always open to change.

Robin walked into the living room. All the Titans had decided to wait there until the work was done. It would be too loud anywhere else. Raven sat in the corner, meditating with Starfire. They'd been doing that ever since the Puppet master fiasco. He didn't look at them, because he didn't want to look at Starfire quite yet. He went over to Beast Boy and Cyborg, took one look at the game they were playing and sat down without saying a word, grabbing a controller. The Titans stayed like that for an hour before Robin finally stopped, declaring it time for training.

They headed outside, their normal area being too close to the noise. Robin had still not looked at Starfire or, because they were standing together, Raven.

"Alright," Robin said, looking at his training log. "Cyborg, you're up first."

He watched closely as Cyborg, and then Beast Boy, went through the course. He focused closely to distract himself. He noted every detail and gave thorough feedback. During his turn, he concentrated hard, using his emotions to help drive himself. He finished, grinning in satisfaction at the results. It was his best score yet this month. Not only had he hit every target, he even got the bonus targets. Cyborg patted him on the back, congratulating him.

Robin's smile disappeared when he realized Starfire was up next. He watched with the same determination, talking to her as her leader and not as her ex. He had some to be annoyed by what she was like; how she defended herself, her style of attack, or even how she flew. The way her powers worked were too happy and naïve…

He grinned once more as Raven came over. He had never really thought about it, but now after getting to know Starfire, he realized he liked Raven's style of attack. The smooth way she controlled her energy and her rigid control had always fascinated him, though he never realized it until now. His crush on Starfire had overridden it. She finished, and he had nothing but praise for the dark girl. She had done it all perfectly. Despite getting 100%, she frowned at not having gotten the bonus targets to match Robin.

For the final hour of construction, the Titans went back to where they had been before, the girls meditating and the boys on games. Despite his attempted avoidance of Starfire, he couldn't help stealing glances at Raven. She looked so peaceful and calm floating there.

Forty-five minutes later, the workers walked out through the living room, giving Robin a nod. They had finished their work and were leaving. Robin left the game to go look at his room. Although he did not see, Raven left immediately afterwards to go outside.

Robin stood in the doorway, surveying his room. Everything was as he wanted. The workers had followed his orders to a T. The bed and shelves were re-arranged, the shelves repaired, and his possessions organized as he requested. They had even made his bed. He inspected everything carefully, going over each thing individually. He trusted them, but he was careful, and being meticulous helped divert his attention. Finally, he finished checking the re-arrangement and walked over to inspect the window. He gasped, surprised at the view.

He had seen this view hundreds, no, thousands of times before, but never like this. It was as if it was a completely new view. He felt like he was seeing it for the first time and he loved it. Removing the screen had made a much bigger impact than he imagined. Who would have thought? He stared out the window, rapt.

Without the screen, it was like the glass wasn't there. He could see everything so much clearer. The leaves' edges were defined, and every leaf was an individual, not a part of the group. The rocks were clear and sharp. Each rock had defining characteristics, and he felt like, should he want to, he would even be able to see water droplets. The world was sharper, the colours defined, the view spectacular. Nothing looked the same as before, and everything looked better.

He noticed Raven just below him at the training grounds. She looked resolute, wanting to get the bonus targets so as not to let Robin one-up her. He watched her fluid motions and graceful spell-casting, struck once again by the clarity of what he could see, and how distinct Raven seemed. Her every feature jumped out at him. The way she bit her lip when focusing, the small movements in her hands as she wove her spells were clear as crystal.

As he looked at her, she grew more and more beautiful. Her deep violet eyes, her cloak flying around her, her short violet hair, perfectly straight, her curvaceous body, lithe and flexible, even her small hands. Her personality was just as stunning. The way she cared about her friends and would give anything for them, the way she held herself in control to protect the world even though it hurt her, the way she tried her whole life to be good despite her destiny, even her sarcasm, sharp wit, and constant reading showed her intelligence. She was beautiful both inside and out. Why had he never noticed before?

Of course, he was too wrapped up in Starfire. He had been so caught up in her shallow beauty, caught up in his superficial crush that he hadn't noticed the beauty right in front of his eyes. Now that they were no longer together, now that Robin had seen through Starfire, he was free to see things as they were. Starfire had been what was blocking his senses. She had blurred his vision and made him blind. Breaking up had removed the screen from his sight and allowed him to see clearly. He stood in front of a window free from obstruction, and he loved it. Everything could be seen, and nothing stood in the way. He was the person at the window, Starfire the screen, now removed. His feelings were the window, now unobstructed.

Raven was the leaves.

He looked out his crystal-clear window at his now clear, beautiful Raven.

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This was inspired by me staring out my glass door. Half of it was covered by a screen. While I was staring out of it, I noticed how the screen wasn't visible as itself, but it made the leaves blurry, and the half with just glass was crystal-clear. I kept thinking, and this story came about.

This one is a bit of a first for me. There's almost no talking, just Robin and his thoughts.


End file.
